I was riding with an inexperienced rider last Saturday, and he came up behind my horse and spooked him. He reared up and then jumped to the right, and I went face first over his left shoulder. The CT scan at the hospital confirmed that I had two cracked ribs and the mirror confirms a nice shiner. The doc said 2 weeks or so, but a google search said about a month.

How long would you guys wait? Should I think about wearing a vest?

Having the week off, I youtubed as much as I could find about emergency dismounts. That probably would have saved me some pain. How much a part if normal horse training is spent on learning how to do it?

maura

04-06-2011 07:22 AM

Riding with cracked ribs is painful, even with a rib bandage on. Don't ask me how I know this. :-( The real questions are how bad do you want to ride and how high is your pain tolerance?

The risk of riding with a cracked rib is that is you fall again before it's healed, you risk displacing the fracture and possibly puncturing a lung.

I think two weeks is a good recommendation.

Yes, learning an emergency dismount is a good idea. Beginners usually learn to do one at a walk and trot within the first 20 lessons, intermediates should learn to one at the canter. One learned, they should be practiced periodically.

iridehorses

04-06-2011 07:46 AM

The last time I cracked (or bruised) ribs I had to remount and ride back to the farm ~3 miles - it wasn't fun. It took me over a month before I could comfortably get back up on a horse without a lot of pain. I'm probably a lot older then you so it does take a little longer to mend but I couldn't conceive of riding after 2 weeks. That sounds to me like a Dr who does not know much about what is involved in riding and thinks that being on a horse is simply being a passenger. Heck - it took 2 weeks before I could laugh without pain - (and I dreaded sneezing)!

Pizzamancer

04-06-2011 08:10 AM

A friend's advice was to try a seat belt. I just replied, "Thanks for the advice.", and really tried to avoid laughing.

CJ82Sky

04-06-2011 10:52 AM

im the wrong person to ask as i've been on my horses while still ON crutches (hey who needs stirrups?) and ridden 2.5 mos after a knee surgery that was supposed to have me off from 4-6.

that said - do what feels right to YOU with regards to pain and risk. would i jump like that or do tons of trails if i were you? probably not the best idea. as for a vest, again that is up to you. i wear mine on hunter paces and xc. i know people that wear them any time they are jumping or on trails. again to me i think it is a matter of personal preference and comfort.

and all THAT aside - i hope you heal up soon!

WickedNag

04-06-2011 11:12 AM

I am another wrong person to ask...broke my leg and rode in a full length cast for almost two years and when I did a compression fracture on my t-9 vertebrae, I rode that same day...course that was STUPID and if I had know I had literally broke my back that day would not have gotten back on the horse.

AlexS

04-06-2011 10:58 PM

It's totally up to you, get back on whenever you feel ready, there is no right or wrong answer.